In the recent era of innovation and advancements, humans are becoming more and more creative and inventive. Moreover, humans are looking to elevate their way of living. This is why they have come up with numerous new creative ways of doing things in order to satisfy them. In the FnB industry, we as humans have invented quite a number of things to elevate our dining experience from the simplest things like ordering through electronic kiosks until the most ‘out-of-the-box’ experience when dining in (i.e. the popular cabaret dining in Vegas). It is safe to say that the whole dining experience has been spiced up.
In regards to all these trends, I myself have been captured by the whole idea of dining in complete darkness or ‘blackout” dining. Through research and several testimonies from peers, it is assured that this is an experience you cannot miss. The restaurant that is going to be discussed is called “Dining in the Dark KL”. This restaurant is located in the heart of KL (50 A, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur). The initial idea of this restaurant was to provide a one of a kind dining experience for all the foodies out there.
Dining in a pitch-black environment was initially a trend from Zurich and Germany in the year 1999. The restaurant in Zurich is called Blindekuh that means blind cow and the one in Germany is called Unsicht that means invisible. Following the hype of pitch-black dining, a number of restaurateurs opened restaurants with similar dining styles. It started in London, North America and several parts of Asia. Furthermore, after receiving a large number of positive reviews throughout the FnB enthusiast, the dining in the dark experience has been gaining a lot of attention and a large number of people are queuing up to try this out of this world experience.
In the Asian region, Dining in the dark KL can be deemed as one of the pioneers of introducing the ‘dark’ culture to the Asian market. Managed under the Werners Group that is owned by Wehner Kuhn – one of the FnB tycoons of Malaysia (the owner of The Whisky Bar KL, The Steakhouse KL, Opium KL, Cielo KL and lastly the restaurant of focus, Dining in the Dark KL). The concept of this restaurant is not so different from the abovementioned restaurants – Blindekuh and Unsicht. If you, the readers, are wondering what makes this award-winning restaurant stand out than the other conservative restaurants, there are several elements that can be highlighted. Those elements are:
It Enhances Your Other 4 Senses
Through a science perspective, researchers showed that if one’s sense of sight is removed, the other 4 senses’ (smell, touch, taste and hearing) sensitivity will be heightened. In regards to this dining experience, you will be dining without your sense of sight. Therefore, the sense of touch, taste and hearing will be more sensitive than ever.
This experience was proven by one of my peers and several food reviewers that have tasted and experienced the whole dining in the dark concept. When the food is in front of you, the aroma is unlike any other and the food seduces you straight away. After tasting the first bite, it is said that the food is tastier than ever. The taste of the food’s seasoning was very rich and it feels as though the flavours are ‘blasting’ its way in your mouth.
It Gives You A More ‘Intimate’ Diner
In the current age, sharing your moments through social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are booming especially for the Millennials and Gen-Z individuals. We can see that most of this generation frequently share their moments in the abovementioned social media platforms. There is nothing wrong with sharing this and that in these platforms, however, sometimes the current generation is too focused on what is inside their smartphone screens instead of what is in front of them. Yes, you may be saying, “how could I miss something if I cannot even see the thing in front of me?”. Maybe there’s nothing you can see but always remember that even if you cannot see it does not mean there’s no one there and it does not mean you cannot have a good time by just having a simple chat with the ones in front of you. This is why Dining in the Dark KL prohibits the usage of cellphones in their ‘dark room’ to increase the ‘intimacy’ of their dinner.
Reviews of this establishment have shown that almost all of the individuals that spent their time there with their peers and loved ones feel the experience gave them a chance to connect with their partner in a more in-depth kind of way and they feel ‘liberated’ because without their phones with them there are no distractions and made them able to enjoy the whole dining experience.
You Do Not Have To Care For Your Appearance
In every dinner, event or any occasion, we tend to worry about their appearances and sometimes if they see someone better looking than us or feel as if the way we eat is not ‘proper’ enough we can feel as if we are inadequate. Furthermore, as mentioned before, in this era of sharing moments through social media, it feels as though everyone (especially your followers) is looking at you and constantly judging you. This kind of judgment frequently degrades our self-confidence and it can surely ruin our night. The judgements can also come from the people you love.
However, when you dine in the dark, you do not have to think about all these things. You do not have to worry if your hair is not on point, having a breakout, disproportional body size. No one is going to see how you eat either, so you do not have to worry about that too, making your dining experience more comfortable. It was proven by my peer who went there, he used to feel ‘uncomfortable’ when eating with his partner because he did not feel his appearance was good enough for the partner. During the blackout dinner, he felt very comfortable because no one was looking.
It Gives You Something To Be Thankful For
Another thing that you can learn from this experience is you get a chance to appreciate your eyesight. This experience has been proved to be eye-opening even if you are in the dark. Through an interview that I conducted with my peer, he mentioned that at first, he was not a very grateful person. After being placed in a circumstance where he cannot utilize his eyesight, something came to him and made him realize his privilege of having a 20/20 eyesight.
Moreover, Dining in the Dark KL hires people who are visually impaired as the ‘darkness expert’ that guides you and be your server throughout the dining period. Amazed and motivated by this, my friend instantly observed their willingness to work and how they do not complain about their current condition. This made him and his partner feel very grateful for what they have and assured them that whatever your condition is right now, you must always remember there are those out there who are less fortunate than you. Therefore, you must always be grateful.
In conclusion to this review, Dining in the Dark KL is a unique experience that you must try. This restaurant is an escape from the modern-day frantic as they provide a back to basic and out of this world dining experience. The restaurant also enables us to Surely there will be concerns regarding the food (i.e. does this contain peanuts? Because I’m allergic to it). Before you dine in, the waiter will ask you if you have any allergies or any restrictions with the types of food that they are serving.
In regards to the holiday spirit, Christmas celebration is just around the corner, if you are looking for an intimate one on one dining with your loved ones during this joyful time, this is the place for you. This restaurant is also suitable if you are looking to spend an unforgettable dining experience with your friends during the Christmas holiday. Dining in the Dark KL also offers a Christmas themed dinner on the 24th and the 25th of December. If you make a reservation for the above-mentioned dates, you will receive a free gift from the restaurant and enjoy their Christmas-themed dining menu. If you are interested or have a question for them you can contact them here:
Phone : (+60)123052011
Email: [email protected]
Opening hours are from Thursday – Sunday (6 pm – 9 pm)
For more articles about places to dine in Malaysia, click here.
